New-Onset Diabetes after Transplantation 2003 International Consensus Guidelines: An endocrinologist's view

Abstract

New-onset diabetes is a major complication of transplantation that appears to have a high incidence. The condition is currently under diagnosed due to a previous lack of a standard definition; however, the recent International Consensus Guidelines for New-Onset Diabetes after Transplantation will help to establish a standard definition and assist in the diagnosis of the condition. New-onset diabetes after transplantation shares many similarities with type 2 diabetes, and recent guidelines thus recommend that its management should follow many of the therapeutic and preventative steps taken for type 2 diabetes (12) (Fig. 2). However, important therapeutic differences exist between the two conditions, and transplant recipients should not be considered comparable with patients with diabetes in the general population. It is important that endocrinologists are aware of the similarities and differences between diabetes in the transplant and general populations. Adoption of appropriate management strategies may reduce the transplant recipient's risk for developing new-onset diabetes after transplantation and thus minimize the long-term consequences associated with the condition.